So the most recent Realtor magazine was delivered to my house and since the recycling bin in the garage was full I lazily carried it into the house.  After pushing it around the kitchen for a few days and realizing it was time to throw it away, I thumbed through it.  And to my delight there was a write up on Social Networking.  So I dialed up the author on Twitter to find this guy had an impressive 12,000 followers.  Seems like alot and seems like this is the guy to be writing this article.  So I decided to read his most recent post and that’s when the article became just another article that does not relate to my business.  His last post was 30 days ago and it reiterated his previous post that he was “taking a break” from Twitter and “Hibernating”.  So here I am thumbing through this worthless magazine, get my hopes up that a relevant article is in front of me, to find out that the author is not only taking a break but not even using it to sell Real Estate.  Why is our industry unable to tap 1 leader to write advice based on ongoing experience and daily practice?  My opinion is that it is because our fearless leaders at the top are so disconnected from technology and how Social Media can be used they think this is great advice.  Here’s what I need:

  • Real Success-One successful (non-celebrity) agent selling lots of Real Estate and credits their regular social media for some of its success
  • Leadership that is on the ground- Typical Brokers are desk jockeys and they make decisions based on sales reports, not direct feedback from the market
  • Effort would be refreshing-I don’t care that you sold Ten billion dollars worth of houses in the eighties in your gold blazer.  How is your business growing today and how have you adapted to today’s clients?
  • Accuracy-I think we are past the introduction days of Pinterest and Instagram.  I can’t honestly say more women or men look at either but I do know that either might be checking my stuff out so I had better appeal to them.
  • Commitment-If you are going to say Social Media works lets practice that message.  Coke doesn’t take a break from advertising so how can you allow your 12,000 strong sales audience sit idle, unless your not selling?

I wake up each day hoping my industry comes together in today’s market and stops praising each other for 1997.  Unfortunately the change is here and we need to move on.  I respect you for your Cadillac but I need you to teach me growth strategies not history lessons.

 

-curt